Pedal operated vehicle



Oct.4 24,r 1944. s AXELROD 2,360,824

PEDAL OPERATED VEHICLE Filed Dec. 18, 1941 Patented Oct. 24,' 1944 v.nm'nao lsim-as PATENT 2,360,824 f ranma ersparen Avnmona Solomon Axelrod, New York, N. Y. Application December 13, v1941, SerialNo. 423,549 1 claim. (ci. 28o-231) The invention has for an object to effect improvements in Velocipedes and the like, to the end of increasing the comfort and safety of the occupants, protecting the riders from the weather,

wind, and rain, and also protecting the riders vice, to the end that when one person operates` the vehicle the center of .gravity may be maintained centrally of the vehicle, and the centrally located operator may operate pedals of the machine as a result of a novel construction embodying the invention.

A further object of the invention is to enable the carrying of passengers in such vehicles, whether operated vby one or two persons, in a novel arrangement and construction of the means therefor. y

A further aim is to give a vehicle of hig'h stability, yet involving an extremely simple drive.

Additional objects, advantages and features of 3 invention reside in the specific construction, arrangement, and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be understood from the accompanying description and drawing, wherein I Figure 1' is a side elevation of a vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention. J Figure 2 is a top view thereof. l A

Figure 3 is a top view of the running gear.

There is illustrated a pedal-operated vehicle 4u axle I2 constituting a part of the frame Ill. At 45 each end of the front axle il, respective steering4 wheels i4 are mounted, in a conventional way. The frame I0 includes a head I5, in which the stem of a steering fork i6 is mounted, which is extended downwardly and iixed at its extremities 50V a front windshield 42, at least one lateral ento the axle Il. Within the head-and stem of the fork a steering shaft I1 is 'revolubly mounted. carrying a steering arm I8 at its lowery extremity which is pivoted upon the cross rods I9, the ends or which are pivoted upon knuckle arms 20 of 55 the wheel mountings ofthe wheel I4. The upper end of the shaft l'l carries a bevelled gear 2|.

driven by asimilar gear 22 carried at the forward end oija steering shaft 23 mounted in a suitable'bracketing 24 of the frame i0, and having a steering wheel 25 ilxed on `its rear end in a conventional position. The 'frame includes a saddle post 26 which may be constructed to carry one, two or more seats, 2l, and in such case the seat structures may have a stem portion 23 slidable in the post 2B and secured by a set screw 29, in a 'conventional way. This will permit removal of a single seat structure and the substitution ofra double seator a triple seat device. In the event of the employment of a triple seat device, one seat will be located in the central vertical plane of the vehiclefwhile the-two others willbe located a spaced distance from each side of the iirst.

'I'he forward part of the frame is constructed with a low pedal-carrying bar 33, stopping at the rear adjacent a vertical line from the seat 2l,

' the frame being continued therefrom .with an upwardly offset rear member 3i which extends horizontally a short `distance immediately to the rear of the seat 21, and has xed thereon two lateral downwardly extending guide wheel brackets 32, between which a drive wheel 33 is revolubly" sprocket on each side, and a second chain 34' may be extended forwardly to a sprocket 35' also mounted on the shaft 36 concentrically with the sprocket 35.

Rearwardly of the drivewheel 33 the frame is continued rearwardly and downwardly as a single tube member 31, its extremity being united with the rear axle I2. i f

A housing is provided, forenclosing the seat and steering devicey and in addition providing av space at the rear of the seat 21,`tlhis housing being of any conventional production form-,being adapted to be mounted upon the axles Il and I2, to whichthey may be secured in any conventional way.. y

The body is formed with a roof portion 4I,

vtrance door 43, a rear side window 44, with such additional windows as may be dictated by reconventionally shown in the present instance,

and adapted to receive any usual pedal thereon, not shown. The extremities of thepedal shafts 48 and 49 have mounted thereon respective supplementary removable crank devices 50, each one consisting of a main rectilinear arm 5| constructed so as Ato be secured to the extremity of one pedal shaft, and of such length that when secured upon the last mentioned shaft extending parallel to the respective crank arms 46-41, the arms 5| will extend across the axis of the crank shaft and beyond a distance corresponding to the radius of the pedal shafts 48 and 49, and at this part each 'arm 5| has mounted on its end or formed integrally therewith, a pedal shaft 52. From the outer end of each pedal shaft, a mounting arm 53 is extended inwardly parallel to the respective adjacent crank arms 5|, and atthe extremity of the arms 53, located on the axis of the shaft 36, a lateral shaft extension 54 is formed, adapted to be mounted in a bearing 55 which may be provided on the body 40. For this purpose, the body 40 is indicated as formed of sheet metal, and at its lower part on each side, a ange 5B is formed consisting of metal inturned from the side portions, this flange 56 extending longitudinally of the body, the bearing 55 consisting of a strap form mounte upon the flange 56.

In the use of the device, the occupants may gain access through a door 43 at one or either side of the machine, and in the case of a single operator, he takes his seat upon the central seat 21, placing the right foot upon the pedal shaft 48 and the left foot upon the pedal` shaft 49, and driving the vehicle by means thereof in the familiar way. Any usual brake appliances may be incorporated, these notV being shown, and other customary or essential accessories incorporated as required.

In the event that two persons are to operate within the vemcie attire rear part, there is provided a lower platform 10, located a distance below the seats, and a seat 1| is provided above this platform at the.V extreme rear of the vehicle. Under the se'at a compartment 12 is thus provided, to which access may be gained by a rear compartment door 13 in the rear side of the body,

The body is preferably constructed so as to rest directly upon the axles il and IZ, suitable rests 'I4 being provided for this purpose, and any usual construction of the body 40 for attachment to these rests may be incorporated, these details not constituting a novel part of my invention and therefore not being illustrated. In consequence,

the body rests upon the running gear independthe liability of upset of the vehicle, yet retaining the machine, they enter the vehicle in the same way, and take their places upon the lateral seats 21', the person upon the right placing his left foot upon the pedal shaft 48, and his right foot upon the pedal shaft portion 52 of the adjacent crank device 50.

If desired, the steering 05 Y all the advantages of a` single wheel drive,.by which the elimination of complications in transmission of power to the traction wheel is reduced to its simplest form.

While I have disclosed with great particularity a specific construction of my invention in the best form in which I have thus far perfected it, it will, nevertheless, be understood that this is purely exemplary, and various modifications in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, substitutions of materials and substitution of mechanical equivalents may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as more particularly defined by the appended claim, wherein, I claim:

A manually propelled vehicle of the character described consisting of a frame having a driving wheel located substantially medially of the frame, a steering wheel, and a pair of laterally spaced idler wheels rearwardly of the driving wheel, a body enclosing said frame, means to operate the vehicle consisting of a crank shaft having a body axle portion mounted transversely on the frame and having respective pedal shafts thereon offset from the crank shaft on radii spaced degrees, an arm extended at right angles from each of said pedal shafts across the axis ofthe crank shaft and beyond, and carrying respective pedal shafts thereon, a multiple seat support carried by the frame including a central mounting in the longitudinal axis of the frame, and two lateral mountings centered with respect to respective rst named pedal shafts and the second named pedal shaft, the last named pedal shafts each having a mounting arm parallel to its respective first named arm and a lateral shaft portion coaxial with the first named shaft, and a, bearing support upon opposite sides of the body for revolubly mounting respective lateral shaft portions.

SOLOMON AXELROD. 

